Military equipment



W. P. WISE."

MlLlTARY EQUIPMENT.

APPLICATION man MAY 8. 191a.

Patented M 9,1919.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ora ion WILLIAM PIERREPONT WISE, OF LONDON,ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MEN TS, TO MILLS WOVEN CARTRIDGEBELT COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHU- SETTS, A CORPORATIONMASSACHUSETTS.

MILITARY EQUIPMENT.

Patented Dec. 9, 1919.

Original application filed. November 30, 1915, Serial No. 64,350.Divided and. this applicaton filed May 8,

struct and arrange the water-bottle-carriel" and spade-carrier that theformer can be either combined with the latter, or be disconnectedreadily and carried separately in a handy manner, as desired.

Equipment of the type in question comprises, in general, a belt built upof two cartridge-carrier members and an intermediate belt-member whichconnects the cartridgecarrier members together around the back of thewearer- Two cross-connected braces or brace-straps are provided withtheir ends detachably connected on the one side of the equipment to thehaversack, and on the spade-carrier. These braces or brace-straps arearranged to cross over each other on the back of the wearer, and atmtermedlate 7 points in the length of each braceor bracestrap it isconnected in the front to the upper part of a cartridge-carrier, and inthe back to the belt-member.

According to this invention, a water-bottle-carrier on the order of thatforming an element of the equipments described and illustrated in thespecifications of prior British Letters Patents. Nos. 28,812 of 1906 and22,130 of 1911, and a spade-carrier, are provided with means fordetachably mountin the water-bottle-carrier on the outer face 0 thespade-carrier.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure-1 shows an equipment to which my improvement is applicable,spread out and viewed from the inside.

Fig. 2 is a view of the spade-carrier with the water-bottle-carriermounted thereon, viewed from the outside.

Fi 3 is a view of the spade-carrier without t e water-bottle-carrier.

1918. Serial No. 233,364.

' llFig. 4 is a View of the water-bottle-carrier on y. 1

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

The features in general of the main equipment shown in the drawings areas shown and described in my application for U. S. Letters Patenttherefor filed Nov. 30, 1915, Serial No. 64,350. 7

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the main equipment comprises abelt and cartridgecarriers, and braces or I bracestraps which supportthe belt and cartridgecarriers, and from the ends of which aresuspended a haversack and spade-carrier. The belt constitutes a centerportion K, the ends of which are adjustably connected to twocartridge-carriers K, K. brace-strap L is connected, as heretofore,toward one end in a detachable manner to a metal member K constituting aconnecting fitting and mounted on the upper part of a cartridge-carrierK, such end of the said strap being carried down past the saidcartridge-carrier K, and detachably connected,

as by a buckle, to the outer corner of the "corresponding suspendedarticle, which in other side thereof to the intrenching tool or isthespade-carrier N. The other end of the same strap L, after passing overthe shoul-' der of the wearer, is carried down behind one case is thehaversack M and in the other through a buckle or slide on thebelt-member K, and the free end is detachably connected, as by a buckle,to the inner corner of the other suspended article. Each of the straps Lcan be entirely disconnected from the belt, correspondingcartridge-carrier, haversack, and spade-carrier, so that it may be usedapart from the whole equipment for sus- Each brace or pending either thehaversack or spade-carrier, or other objects, separately or together.

All equipment comprising such combination of parts is well known.

The water-bottle-carrier shown in Fig. 4-, comprises a lmown arrangementof straps. The strap P which surrounds the body of the bottle in ahorizontal direction, I pro-, vide with a loop P as shown in the centerat the back. The two straps P and P pass at right angles to each otheracross the bot tom of the bottle, one of these straps, P, after beingsecured to the horizontal strap P at opposite sides of the carrier,having a buckle l? mounted on each end thereof as heretofore. In thecase of the other strap P which passes wider the bottom of the bottle,the end 1 at the back of the bottle is left loose. The other end liesagainst the front of the bottle and carries one member of asnap-fastener or like device, the other part P of which is mounted onthe end of a bifurcated strap whose two parts, 1?, P lie on either sideof the neck of the bottle and have their rear ends in Fig. 4; connectedto the horizontal strap P. The present improvement consists in utilizingthe free end P of the strap P at the back of the bottle to attach thewater-bottle-carrier to the spade-carrier N. The latter, shown in Fig.3, is made in the form of a pocket of approximately rectangular form atthe two upper corners of which are mounted buckles N, N, which serve forthe attachment of the ends of the brace-straps L, L, as shown in Fig. 1.On the upper part of the outer face of the spade-carrier pocket N andtoward its center is mounted a buckle h and on the lower part of thisface is disposed a horizontal fiat loop N Then it is desired to mount athe water-bottle-carrier on the spade-carrier, the end P of thestrap Pof the water-bottle-carrier is passed up through the loop N and thenthrough the loop P at the back of the horizontal strap P at the back ofthe water-bottle-carrier, and finally secured in the buckle N on thespade-carrier, as shown in Fig. 2. With this arrangement thewaterbottle-carrier can be securely attached to the spade-carrier N andis thus, through the spade-carrier, suspended from the bracemembers L,L. If the intrenching tool is not required the spade-carrier N can bedisconnected from the braces L, L, and the waterbottle-carrier suspendedfrom the latter by eeann;

connecting the ends of the brace-straps L, L, to the buckles P P on theends of the watenbottle-caa'ier strap P. The waterbottle-carrier thustakes the place of the intrenching tool. Yet again, thewater-bottlecarrier can be used with a single brace-strap L which hasbeen detached from the remainder of the equipment, by connecting bothends of the said strap to the buckles P P and the water-bottle can thenbe slung across the shoulders independently of the rest of theequipment.

As will be understood, the various buckles, slides, or other metal partsemployed in connecting the various portions of the equipment may beconstructed in different ways and forms, as found convenient. Preferablythe whole equipment, including the various belt or strap portions,together with haversack, and spade-carrier, is made of woven material,but the whole or parts of it may be constructed of leather or othersuitable substance. The permanent connections between the straps andother parts may be effected by sewing, riveting, or otherwise as founddesirable.

What is claimed as the invention is: a

In a military equipment, the combination with a carrier, as N, having aloop N and securin means, as N", of a water-bottlecarrierfiiaving a loopl? and an upwardlyexteuding strap P adapted to be passed through loops l3 and P and to he engaged with said securing means.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses W. J. F BANKS, A. A. LETHERN.

